Jas Waters, ‘This Is Us’ Writer, Dead at 39
The This Is Us family and the television community have lost a talented writer and a powerful voice. Jas Waters, a writer on the hit NBC family drama, has died at the age of 39. Her cause of death has not been revealed at this time.
The official This Is Us writers account confirmed the news on Wednesday.
“The entire #ThisIsUs family was devastated to learn of Jas Waters passing. In our time together, Jas left her mark on us and ALL over the show,” the account wrote alongside a photo of Waters. “She was a brilliant storyteller and a force of nature. We send our deepest sympathies to her loved ones. She was one of us. RIP @JasFly.”
In addition to writing on 18 episodes of This Is Us, Waters also worked on Jim Carrey’s Kidding, Hood Adjacent with James Davis, and the film What Men Want. Under the name JasFly, Waters, who used to write for Vibe, also appeared in The Gossip Game, a VH1 reality show about hip-hop TV and radio personalities and bloggers.
Immediately following the news of her death, several This Is Us stars as well as celebrities paid tribute to Waters on social media.
Show creator Dan Fogelman tweeted, “This news took my breath away. Jas was absolutely brilliant and had so many stories still to tell. She made an indelible mark on our show and my heart breaks for her loved ones. RIP @JasFly.”
Star Mandy Moore, who plays Rebecca Pearson, posted, “Sending love and light to @JasFly’s family and loved ones.”
Susan Kelechi Watson, who plays Beth Pearson on This Is Us, wrote, “Incredibly shocked and saddened to have just received this news. Blessed Light, fly with the angels. @JasFly #jaswaters.”
Chrissy Metz, Moore’s TV daughter, Kate Pearson, wrote, “We were graced with @JasFly on the show as a fantastic writer but to know her and her beautiful spirit was to love her. I am praying for your beautiful transition, Jas. May it be full of love, light and peace. Thank you for the time we shared, your fearlessness and inspiration.”
‘Paw Patrol’ Under Fire for Depiction of Police: Is ‘Paw Patrol’ Being Canceled?
Have the anti-racism protests come for Paw Patrol? According to Amanda Hess of the New York Times Paw Patrol fans have (albeit jokingly) called for the popular Nickelodeon show to be canceled as protests against police brutality continue to sweep the globe and shows like Cops and Live PD are cancelled by networks. While the Paw Patrol protests may not be totally real, Eric Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz seem to think fans are serious: both tweeted that the protests for Paw Patrol are “truly insane,” and they blasted the left for “targeting” cartoons.
As a result of the back and forth — is the Paw Patrol protest real, or do Eric Trump and Ted Cruz just not understand humor? — many viewers have questions about the beloved children’s show. Is Paw Patrol being cancelled? What’s up with the Paw Patrol protests? Here’s everything you need to know!
WHAT STARTED THE PROTESTS AGAINST PAW PATROL?
The complicated brouhaha started last week, when the official Paw Patrol account tweeted a message in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. “In solidarity of #AmplifyMelanatedVoices we will be muting our content until June 7th to give access for Black voices to be heard so we can continue to listen and further our learning,” the account wrote.
Almost immediately, Twitter users began replying with jokey posts about Chase, the show’s German Shepherd police officer. “Chase is not only a class traitor but a species traitor as well,” wrote one user as part of a graphic that claims “police shoot an average of 25 pet dogs a day.” Others urged Paw Patrol to “get rid of the cop” and “defund Chase,” while others said that the show should be canceled altogether.
HOW DOES THE NYT PAW PATROL ARTICLE, “THE PROTESTS COME FOR PAW PATROL,” FIGURE INTO THIS?
This is where things get dicey. On Wednesday, The New York Times‘ Amanda Hess called out the show’s depiction of canine crime helpers and acknowledged that the Paw Patrol protests, while a joke, come from the right place. “The effort to publicize police brutality also means banishing the good-cop archetype, which reigns on both television and in viral videos of the protests themselves,” writes Hess. “Paw Patrol seems harmless enough, and that’s the point: The movement rests on understanding that cops do plenty of harm.”
TED CRUZ AND ERIC TRUMP TWEETED ABOUT THE BAN PAW PATROL MOVEMENT, BUT IS IT LEGIT?
Hess’ piece does not linger long on Paw Patrol; instead, it hinges on the far-ranging consequences of a variety of different cop shows, from Brooklyn Nine-Nine to Law & Order. But the initial focus on Paw Patrol seemed to be enough for prominent Republicans, who eagerly tweeted out the article on Wednesday night.
“Now the left wants to cancel Paw Patrol,” Eric Trump tweeted alongside the NYTPaw Patrol article on Wednesday night. “These people are truly insane…” Sen. Ted Cruise followed suit shortly after, writing, “The absurdity knows no end. #CancelCultureTargetsCartoons.”
Trump and Cruz’s tweets have people very confused. Is Paw Patrol really getting canceled?
IS PAW PATROL BEING CANCELLED?
This is a long story with a short answer: as of now, Paw Patrol is not being cancelled despite the fake “protests” against it. In fact, Nickelodeon just renewed the series for an eighth season in February, and a theatrical film Paw Patrol: The Movie is currently scheduled for an August 2021 release.
Decider has reached out to Nickelodeon to confirm that Paw Patrol will continue to air as scheduled, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Article via Decider
Netflix adds Black Lives Matter as a new genre after The Help concerns
“Action,” “Comedies,” “Dramas,” and, now, “Black Lives Matter.” Netflix has added BLM as one of its content genres on the streaming service.
On late Tuesday night, the company put the category under its “Genre” tab, which has a total of 24 different ways of sorting movies and TV shows. The genre will appear on the service globally.
“When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ we also mean ‘Black storytelling matters,'” the company said in a tweet. “With an understanding that our commitment to true, systemic change will take time – we’re starting by highlighting powerful and complex narratives about the Black experience. When you log onto Netflix today, you will see a carefully curated list of titles that only begin to tell the complex and layered stories about racial injustice and Blackness in America.” A Netflix spokesperson added in a statement to EW, “The Black Lives Matter collection speaks to racial injustice and the Black experience in America — and we hope that highlighting these titles can help increase empathy and understanding.”
Titles include Ava DuVernay’s documentary on racial inequality 13th, Spike Lee’s biographical drama Malcolm X, Barry Jenkins’s Oscar winner Moonlight, and former first lady Michelle Obama’s documentary Becoming. The social justice category will be a permanent addition to the service, though it may eventually be housed within a broader category called Black Stories which will offer a wider array of titles.
The move was made following customers noticing the 2011 movie The Help spiked to No. 1 in the U.S. on the streaming service last Saturday as protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement continue to sweep the country.
Some have criticized The Help, which follows the experiences of black housemaids, as focusing on a “white savior” character and perpetuating Hollywood stereotypes. Star Viola Davis said in 2018 that she regretted her role in the movie. And actress Bryce Dallas Howard, who also appeared in the film, suggested people watch something else instead.
“I’ve heard that #TheHelp is the most viewed film on Netflix right now!” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m so grateful for the exquisite friendships that came from that film — our bond is something I treasure deeply and will last a lifetime. This being said, The Help is a fictional story told through the perspective of a white character and was created by predominantly white storytellers. We can all go further.”
y adding the BLM category, Netflix is making it easier to find films that tell racial justice stories (The Help is not one of the films featured).
It’s unclear if the category is a permanent addition to the genre list or temporary due to the subject’s topicality (it’s listed first on the genre list and not in alphabetical order like the others). Netflix did not immediately reply when asked for clarity.
Also Wednesday, Netflix has reportedly removed four comedy shows featuring outspoken Australian performer Chris Lilley from its service in Australia and New Zealand. Lilley’s work has previously been called racially insensitive.
Article via EW
Russell Simmons accuser calls out ‘Breakfast Club’ after mogul’s rape denial
Russell Simmons denied allegations of sexual assault during a radio interview Wednesday, leading one of his accusers to blast the program for giving the hip hop mogul a platform.
The 62-year-old music producer spoke out on “The Breakfast Club” when co-host Charlamagne tha God asked him about the new HBO Max docuseries “On the Record,” in which Simmons has been accused of sexually assaulting three women.
“I have not watched it,” Simmons said, before going on to detail his life as a “playboy” while denying he ever forced himself on anyone.
“I’m guilty—of having underwritten, supported, made soundtracks for, taken advantage of, and lived in a grossly unjust society,” he went on. “I helped write the song ‘I’m a Ho’ with Whodini. … I made the movie ‘How to Be a Player’ and Bell Bill Bellamy played me. So I know what I’m guilty of, and I’ve been unconscious as a playboy, and today the title is appropriate of ‘womanizer,’ So I’m guilty of that. And you know, back then I thought it was a game … there were no black actresses that I didn’t date, and they’re my friends today.
“I went out every night, looking for new girls to date, and almost all of them are my friends today … they don’t have the experience of me being the monster that the movie makes me to be.”
Simmons also discussed Oprah Winfrey’s initial involvement in the doc and her decision to ultimately back out.
“She walked away, and she did say that the stories had inconsistencies — not one, but all the stories, all three girls.
“I could never say that someone doesn’t feel victimized, these stories are 25-40 years old. I can’t say that someone doesn’t feel victimized, I can tell you that I don’t feel I victimized them.”
Accuser Sil Lai Abrams immediately took to social media to call out the businessman and “The Breakfast Club” itself for giving the Def Jam co-founder a platform.
“The biggest radio show in the Black community just gave a huge middle finger to Black women and survivors of sexual assault,” Abrams tweeted. “This is obscene @breakfastclubam. Why do you carry water for this man? Why now? Why are you so tone deaf? You’re all complicit in ensuring that black women’s right to bodily autonomy continues to be denied. You’re also rape apologists.”
Article via PageSix
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Two Missouri hairstylists who had coronavirus saw 140 clients but no one got infected
Two Missouri hairstylists who worked while they had coronavirus did not infect the 140 clients they served even though they had symptoms at the time, local health officials said.
Both stylists worked at the same Great Clips location in Springfield for more than a week in mid-May.
The clients and the stylists all wore face coverings, and the salon had set up other measures such as social distancing of chairs and staggered appointments, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said this week.
Of the 140 clients and seven co-workers potentially exposed, 46 took tests that came back negative. All the others were quarantined for the duration of the coronavirus incubation period. The 14-day incubation period has now passed with no new infections linked to the salon, county health officials said.
During the quarantine, those who did not get tested got a call twice a day from health officials asking whether they had symptoms related to Covid-19, said Kathryn Wall, a spokeswoman for the Springfield-Green County Health Department.
County health officials called the results encouraging, and said they’re looking into the case for insight on how to stop the spread and help with efforts on future research.
“This is exciting news about the value of masking to prevent Covid-19,” said Clay Goddard, the county’s director of health. “We are studying more closely the details of these exposures, including what types of face coverings were worn and what other precautions were taken to lead to this encouraging result.”
Studies have found that physical distancing and the use of a mask are the two best ways to prevent coronavirus transmission.
This month, a study published in the Lancet medical journal found people should stay six feet apart and wear face coverings. It said the chance of transmission without a face mask was 17.4%, while that fell to 3.1% when a mask was worn. The World Health Organization has urged nations to encourage the general public to wear fabric masks in areas where coronavirus is spreading.
One hairstylist had worked with 56 clients at the salon while the second one had seen 84 customers and seven coworkers. They went to the salon for about eight days ending on May 20.
The salon kept impeccable records that made contact tracing possible, Goddard said. But he cautioned about the risks of overwhelming resources in such incidents.
“We can’t have many more of these,” he said last month. “We can’t make this a regular habit or our capabilities as a community will be strained.”
In a statement, Great Clips said it welcomed the results.
“All customers who were tested for Covid-19 after visiting a franchised Great Clips salon in Springfield have confirmed negative test results. Together with our 1,100 independent franchisees, we care deeply about the well-being of customers, salon staff and the communities we serve, and we are grateful for the health of these individuals,” it said in a statement to CNN affiliate KYTV.
More than 112,000 people have died from coronavirus in the United States, where the number of confirmed cases is more than 2 million, according to Johns Hopkins. In Missouri, the virus has killed more than 850 people and infected over 15,000 others.
Article via MSN
Vanessa Bryant reveals tattoos in honor of Kobe and Gianna
Vanessa Bryant is going to carry words from her late husband and daughter with her forever.
The widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant revealed through Instagram on Wednesday that she got a pair of new tattoos. The ink carries messages from Kobe and their 14-year-old daughter Gianna.
The message from Kobe was placed in a line along her right shoulder and neck.
The message from Gianna was placed on Bryant’s right wrist.
The tattoos are Vanessa Bryant’s latest tribute to her husband and daughter, as she has consistently kept their memory going since their tragic death in a helicopter crash in January. Whether it’s Gianna’s 14th birthday or the anniversary of Kobe’s 60-point sendoff, Bryant has consistently posted tributes to them. She has also used Kobe’s memory to speak out against racial injustice.
For her own birthday, Bryant revealed she had found an unopened love letter from Kobe, but didn’t disclose its message. She is currently working on the release of a young adult novel written by Kobe before his death, called “Geese Are Never Swans.”
Article via YahooNews
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Jussie Smollett cites George Floyd protests, demands police transparency
Embattled actor Jussie Smollett cited ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd while demanding more transparency from cops in his own criminal case, according to new court documents.
The former “Empire” star says he deserves to know why Chicago’s top cop, Eddie Johnson, was fired from the position last year, because it may be linked to flaws in the case against him, according to court docs cited by FOX News.
“As we see millions across the country rise up to protest and expose police misconduct, the city [of Chicago], by its refusal to produce the requested documents, is choosing to actively resist a citizen’s lawful efforts to reveal dishonesty, directly relating to the charges against him,” reads the motion, which was filed Friday to force officials to hand over documents about Johnson’s firing.
It notes the former police supervisor “oversaw and publicly commented on the investigation” that led to Smollett’s arrest.
The 37-year-old actor, who is black and gay, was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police and staging a hate crime in January 2019.
In a stunning reversal, prosecutors dropped all charges in the botched case in March 2019 and Johnson was fired eight months later. But in February, Smollett was hit with six new charges.
Since then, his legal team has pushed to have cops cough up discovery documents detailing the events surrounding Johnson’s firing. Their most recent filing claims, cops “disparaged Mr. Smollett by characterizing his discovery requests as attempting to ‘muddy the waters.’”
They also note that previous documents released by city officials, “conspicuously omit” which specific police officers claimed that Smollett made false statements to cops.
Smollett pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct in February and was released on a $20,000 bond.
Article via PageSix
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Walmart Says It Will No Longer Lock Up African-American Beauty Products
The policy had been the subject of a racial discrimination lawsuit that was dropped last year, but the practice had come under renewed scrutiny.
Walmart will end its practice of locking up African-American beauty care products in glass cases, the retail giant said on Wednesday after a fresh round of criticism that the policy was a form of racial discrimination.
Hair care and beauty products sold predominantly to black people could be accessed at certain stores only by getting a Walmart employee to unlock the cases, some of which featured additional anti-theft measures.
At some stores, the cases were across the aisle from shelves of generic beauty products that were not locked up and that included shampoo and conditioner.
Critics of the practice, which had been the subject of a federal discrimination lawsuit that was dropped last year, said that it implied that black people were more likely to shoplift. Walmart had previously said that certain products were locked up because they were more likely to be stolen.
The change came as a host of major corporations re-evaluated their business practices and social responsibility after the death of George Floyd and widespread protests over police brutality and discrimination. It also followed a recent report by the television station CBS 4 in Denver that drew attention to the different treatment of Walmart customers.
“As a retailer serving millions of customers every day from diverse backgrounds, Walmart does not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” Lorenzo Lopez, a Walmart spokesman, wrote in an email on Wednesday night.
Mr. Lopez said that Walmart, like other retailers, locked up certain items at a limited number of locations to “deter shoplifters from some products such as electronics, automotive, cosmetics and other personal care products.”
“We’re sensitive to the issue and understand the concerns raised by our customers and members of the community and have made the decision to discontinue placing multicultural hair care and beauty products — a practice in place in about a dozen of our 4,700 stores nationwide — in locked cases,” Mr. Lopez wrote.
In 2018, a California woman sued Walmart in federal court for discrimination over the policy, saying she felt humiliated having to ask a store employee to unlock the beauty products case on three visits to the store, including to buy a comb that cost $0.48.
The woman, Essie Grundy, said she went to a Walmart in Perris, Calif., in Riverside County to buy body lotion by the beauty brand Cantu when she noticed that all of the products “targeted at African-Americans” were locked in a glass case, “from the middle of the aisle to the end.”
Ms. Grundy, who was represented by the lawyer Gloria Allred, dropped the lawsuit in November, court documents show.
Reached on Wednesday night, Ms. Allred would not say if there was a settlement in the case, which was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice — meaning it cannot be brought back before the court. She said that “the matter was resolved.”
Walmart did not comment on the resolution of the lawsuit.
Ms. Grundy declined to comment on the policy change.
CVS and Walgreens have also faced criticism for locking up beauty products sold to black people. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday night.
Article via NYTimes
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FBI warns hackers are targeting mobile banking apps
The FBI on Wednesday warned that malicious cyber actors were targeting mobile banking apps in an attempt to steal money as more Americans have moved to online banking during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a public service announcement, the FBI noted it expects to see hackers “exploit” mobile banking platforms, which have seen a 50 percent surge in use since the beginning of the pandemic.
“With city, state, and local governments urging or mandating social distancing, Americans have become more willing to use mobile banking as an alternative to physically visiting branch locations,” the agency wrote. “The FBI expects cyber actors to attempt to exploit new mobile banking customers using a variety of techniques, including app-based banking trojans and fake banking apps.”
The FBI specifically pointed to threat of banking trojans, which involve a malicious virus hiding on a user’s mobile device until a legitimate banking app is downloaded. Once the real app is on the device, the banking trojan then overlays the app, tricking the user into clicking on it and inputting their banking login credentials.
Fake banking apps were also cited as a threat, with users in danger of being tricked into downloading malicious apps that also steal sensitive banking information.
In order to combat these threats, the FBI recommended that Americans only download banking apps from official app stores or from banking websites and that banking app users enable two-factor authentication on their accounts and use strong passwords.
“If you encounter an app that appears suspicious, exercise caution and contact that financial institution,” the FBI emphasized. “Major financial institutions may ask for a banking PIN number, but will never ask for your username and password over the phone.”
The PSA is not the first warning the FBI has put out during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hackers have stepped up efforts to target individuals working and socializing online.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned last month that Chinese-backed hackers were targeting health care and research groups involved in developing COVID-19 treatments.
A top FBI official said in April that the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center was receiving between 3,000 and 4,000 cybersecurity complaints each day, a major jump from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when about 1,000 complaints were received daily.
Major agencies including the World Health Organization and the Department of Health and Human Services have also been targeted by hackers, and scams tied to efforts to use coronavirus concerns to steal sensitive information have also spiked.
Article via TheHill
US rapper Kanye West to pay college tuition for George Floyd’s daughter
US rapper Kanye West on Thursday pledged to set up a college fund for the daughter of George Floyd, the African American who died at the hands of police.
Floyd’s longtime friend and former NBA (National Basketball Association) star Stephen Jackson shared a touching video this week on Instagram of Floyd’s daughter Gianna being carried on her uncle’s shoulders, smiling, and saying, “Daddy changed the world.”
According to CNN, father-of-four, West, has also donated $2 million toward helping fund the families and legal teams contesting the deaths of African Americans Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and supporting black-owned businesses in crisis in his native Chicago and other cities.
Over recent days, the streets of New York, Los Angeles, London, Toronto, Paris, and more have witnessed celebrities and influencers standing together in solidarity with black communities.
Meanwhile, other stars, such as 42-year-old West, have taken to their social media platforms to demand justice and draw attention to various organizations which help low-income protesters pay bail, or donation pages that directly benefit the family members of victims.
Earlier this week, Iraqi-American beauty entrepreneur Huda Kattan and actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds donated a hefty sum amid the #BlackLivesMatter protests.
Article via ArabNews